# Yet another digresion about precious metals as currency

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/yet-another-digresion-about-precious-metals-as-currency/23446>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [April 28, 2020, 1:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/yet-another-digresion-about-precious-metals-as-currency/23446 "2020-04-28T13:52:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 8

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Valase](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valase/32/6972_2.png) [@Valase](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valase)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/yet-another-digresion-about-precious-metals-as-currency/23446/8 "2020-04-28T15:38:01Z")

</div>

> [@spicyshadow](#):
>
> […] since everyone already knows it to be valueble.

That’s… not how currency works. It has to be assigned a value and there has to be some consensus about it.  
If I take your gold for my weapons and food, but can’t buy stuff with it because someone states that they don’t want useless gold for exchange, I probably starve to death. Therefore, I don’t accept gold in the first place to don’t risk anything, which will devalue gold.  
[Here’s](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3olmry/did_native_american_societies_treat_gold_in_the/) a good read on the value of gold to acient native americans, although I can’t confirm the quality or accuracy of it.

> [@The post-apocalyptic economy is kinda borked](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-post-apocalyptic-economy-is-kinda-borked/23440/12):
>
> so the people ectually making a living from trade would be able to tell real noble metals from fake one most of the time (unless its a really good counterfeit) and would only use real gold for trade since they have a reputation to uphold if they want to keep their trade partners.

Well, if you explain to me **how** they would be able to tell if it’s fake gold or not, I would be a little more convinced than now.  
You can see how some people react to a crisis right now - and you really think they would be honest and fair in an apocalypse? Well, probably some, but certainly not all.

Yes, all goods can be counterfeit. I did not state otherwise in my answer. I just objected your statement, that gold can’t be faked.  
Also, I can open up a can and just take a sip from it or open/testfire a bullet. I can’t do that with gold.

> [@The post-apocalyptic economy is kinda borked](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-post-apocalyptic-economy-is-kinda-borked/23440/13):
>
> I wouldn’t be so sure. At least you can use dollar bills for their paper (starting a fire, flintlock rounds, etc). What could be the use of gold?

It’s funny, I actually have written up a “Of course it can be used as a firestarter, which would assign some value to it as a material.”, but deleted it, as I wanted to keep it simple.  
And I’m sure I wont give you 10 breads for a 5 $ bill to start a fire.  
Gold can be used as a shotgun ammunition and a conductor. And to weigh down your dollar bills tinder so it doesn’t fly away. So it’s not totally worthless 😉 .

---

_[View the full topic](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/yet-another-digresion-about-precious-metals-as-currency/23446)._